Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Upper Hutt

For one person, living is cheaper in Upper Hutt: $1,952 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Upper Hutt
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Upper Hutt Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Upper Hutt

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wellington and in Upper Hutt

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wellington and in Upper Hutt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,313 per month in Wellington vs $1,952 in Upper Hutt, rent included.

Wellington $2,313
Upper Hutt $1,952

A couple spends around $3,422 per month in Wellington vs $2,954 in Upper Hutt, rent included.

Wellington $3,422
Upper Hutt $2,954

A family of three spends $4,530 per month in Wellington vs $3,956 in Upper Hutt, rent included.

Wellington $4,530
Upper Hutt $3,956

Wellington costs about 18% more than Upper Hutt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wellington and Upper Hutt sit above the global median – Wellington by 70%, Upper Hutt by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.02 NZ$24.90

$8.58 NZ$15.24

63.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 NZ$118

$57.9 NZ$103

14.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 NZ$16.38

$8.66 NZ$15.37

6.58%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$6.06

$2.92 NZ$5.18

16.78%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NZ$4.32

$2.39 NZ$4.25

1.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 NZ$3.00

$1.74 NZ$3.09

-2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 NZ$13.29

$7.58 NZ$13.46

-1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 NZ$11.97

$6.64 NZ$11.79

1.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.47

$1.86 NZ$3.31

4.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 NZ$4.00

$2.18 NZ$3.86

3.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.86 NZ$3.31

-0.54%

Eggs

$7.10 NZ$12.61

$7.09 NZ$12.58

0.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$16.94

$5.51 NZ$9.78

73.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 NZ$17.08

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 NZ$27.09

$15.38 NZ$27.30

-0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.49

$3.17 NZ$5.63

-2.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$2.26 NZ$4.02

-4.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.47

$3.14 NZ$5.58

-1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.42 NZ$11.40

$6.41 NZ$11.38

0.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 NZ$3.72

$2.17 NZ$3.85

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 NZ$2.19

$1.30 NZ$2.31

-5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.57

$2.08 NZ$3.69

-3.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NZ$2.06

$1.15 NZ$2.05

0.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.04

$25.44 NZ$45.17

-0.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 NZ$20.39

$11.31 NZ$20.09

1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 NZ$5.53

$3.19 NZ$5.67

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NZ$5.12

$2.77 NZ$4.92

4.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 NZ$5.08

$1.89 NZ$3.36

51.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NZ$186

$105 NZ$187

-0.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 NZ$3.34

$1.82 NZ$3.23

3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.84 NZ$3.27

-0.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.31 NZ$60.9

$34.32 NZ$60.9

-0.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.27

$1.83 NZ$3.24

0.55%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.4K NZ$50.4K

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

-0.40%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.8K NZ$42.3K

$23.2K NZ$41.2K

2.63%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$201 NZ$357

$113 NZ$201

77.09%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$33.35 NZ$59.2

$25.35 NZ$45.01

31.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$95.3

$54.8 NZ$97.2

-2.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 NZ$63.7

$42.80 NZ$76.0

-16.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.73

Cinema Ticket

$11.78 NZ$20.92

$12.16 NZ$21.59

-3.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,065 NZ$1,890

$1,064 NZ$1,890

0.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K NZ$23.6K

-0.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 NZ$143

$78.6 NZ$140

2.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.04 NZ$49.78

$28.83 NZ$51.2

-2.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NZ$180

$104 NZ$185

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NZ$274

$156 NZ$276

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 NZ$2,029

$1,057 NZ$1,877

8.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 NZ$1,914

$869 NZ$1,542

24.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 NZ$3,651

$1,498 NZ$2,659

37.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 NZ$3,220

$1,531 NZ$2,719

18.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,594 NZ$11.7K

$4,193 NZ$7,444

57.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,655 NZ$6,489

$3,357 NZ$5,960

8.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,945

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Last update for Upper Hutt: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6%

Upper Hutt

$869 44.5% 19.4% $210

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$348 15.1%

Upper Hutt

$336 17.2% 3.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$288 12.4%

Upper Hutt

$194 9.9% 32.8% $94

Eating Out

Wellington

$248 10.7%

Upper Hutt

$197 10.1% 20.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7.1%

Upper Hutt

$165 8.5% 0.9% $1.4

Getting Around

Wellington

$127 5.5%

Upper Hutt

$124 6.3% 2.8% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$59 2.6%

Upper Hutt

$67 3.4% 12.9% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,143 in Wellington versus $1,057 in Upper Hutt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Wellington versus $58 in Upper Hutt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $336 – making Upper Hutt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇿 Upper Hutt

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

Same time as Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

44,600

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Wellington Upper Hutt 31 km

From you

Wellington
Upper Hutt

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Wellington vs Upper Hutt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington costs about 18% more than Upper Hutt, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,470 per month in Wellington and $2,928 in Upper Hutt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,143 in Wellington and $1,057 in Upper Hutt. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,313 in Wellington and $1,952 in Upper Hutt. That makes Upper Hutt about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,065 per month in Wellington and $1,064 in Upper Hutt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Wellington has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,952 in Upper Hutt to $2,313 in Wellington. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.